Many homes have a variety of floor finishes that are applied to the subfloor or substrate. For example, the floor finishes can include hardwood floors, wooden floors, carpet, vinyl, ceramic tile, composites of wood, resins, plastics or the like.
Typically, transition strips that extend longitudinally thereof have been used to cover the gap between the edges of the different floor finishes. In some cases, the height or thickness of the floor finishes are the same. In other cases, the height or thicknesses of the two spaced adjacent floor finishes are different. For example, one floor finish could be hardwood which typically has a thickness of ¾ of an inch, while the adjacent floor finish could be vinyl which has a much thinner height or thickness. Accordingly, a plurality of different transition strips have been used in the prior art.
For example, FIG. 1a-d illustrate some of the prior art transition strips. FIG. 1a shows a cross-section or profile of a transition strip or reducer which has been used for vinyl. In one orientation, a side 2 would abut against a hardwood floor while bottom portion 4 would overlie the vinyl (not shown).
FIG. 1b illustrates a “T” cross-section of a transition strip which has been used in the prior art between wood and tile. One side of the transition strip 6 would overlie the wood and the other side 8 would overlie the tile. The intermediate member 10 would be disposed in the gap between the wood and tile.
FIG. 1c illustrates a prior art carpet reducer or transition strip where one side 12 in one orientation would abut against a wood flooring while another side 14 would overlie the carpet.
FIG. 1d shows another example of a prior art vinyl reducer where one side 16 could overlap wood or ceramic tile while another side 16 would overlap the vinyl.
Accordingly, during an installation process, one would need to bring a variety of transition strips such as for examples shown in FIGS. 1a-1b in order to accommodate all of the different types of floor finishes that could be used between adjoining rooms or finishes.
It is generally expensive and time consuming to bring or to remember to bring all of the different varieties of transition strips that could be used.
Accordingly, there is a need to utilize a universal or single transition strip which can be used for a variety of different floor finishes.
Furthermore, there have been a variety of other types of transition strips and methods for accommodating, covering different finishes which have the same or different heights. For example, the following prior art patents illustrate some of these devices and methods.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 8,327,595 B2 relates to assembly includes a molding having a foot, a first arm, and a second arm. The foot is positioned along a longitudinal axis, and the first arm extends generally perpendicularly from the foot. The second arm extends generally perpendicularly from the foot. A tab depends generally perpendicularly from the first panel engaging surface. At least one of the tab and the foot engage the edge in order to tightly fit within the gap. The method includes the steps of placing the foot in the gap, pressing the respective panel engaging surfaces into contact with respective panels, and configuring at least one of the tab and the foot to cooperate to retain the molding in the gap when the assembly is in an installed condition.
Also United States Publication No. 2003/0084634 illustrates a joint cover assembly for covering a gap adjacent an edge of a panel that covers a sub-surface, and a method of covering such a gap.
Moreover U.S. Pat. No. 8,245,473 relates to finishing profile comprising a body with at least two portions made separable from each other, which, in the unseparated condition, are connected to each other by means of a break-off or cut-off zone, wherein, by whether or not removing one or more of the aforementioned two portions, various application possibilities of the remaining portion of the body are created, wherein, at least on the aforementioned two portions of the body, a layer-shaped covering is provided, wherein said layer-shaped covering shows an interruption at least over part of the length of the finishing profile, at the height of the transition between said two portions.
Furthermore U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,410 relates to a joint cover assembly for covering a gap adjacent an edge of a panel that covers a sub-surface, and a method of covering such a gap. The assembly includes a molding having a foot, a first arm, and a second arm. The foot is positioned along a longitudinal axis of the molding, and the first arm extends generally perpendicularly to the foot. The second arm may also extend generally perpendicularly to the foot. A tab depends from at least one of the first and second arms. At least one of the tabs and the foot engage a track in order to position the assembly over the gap. The method includes the steps of placing the foot in the gap, pressing the respective panel engaging surfaces into contact with respective panels, and configuring at least one of the tab and the foot to cooperate to retain the molding in the gap when the assembly is in an installed condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,708 teaches a finishing set for a floor covering, whereby this finishing set at least consists of, on the one hand, a finishing profile and, on the other hand, a holder with at least an attachment portion for attaching said finishing profile at the holder, characterized in that the holder comprises an underlay portion, which at choice can or cannot be provided underneath the remaining portion of the holder, as well as stop-forming positioning portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,122,665 B2 shows a joint cover assembly for covering a gap adjacent an edge of a panel that covers a sub-surface, and a method of covering such a gap. The assembly can be manipulated to form an end molding, a T-molding, a hard surface reducer, a carpet reducer, and/or a stair nose molding.
Furthermore U.S. Pat. No. 7,784,238 B2 teaches moulding that is installed at the transition between adjoining floor coverings/surfaces, such as between carpet and laminate floor coverings. The moulding includes a contoured cap and a depending wall portion having a series of vertically spaced rib portions along its lower edge that snap into the channel of a base track that is mounted to the subfloor.
Moreover U.S. Pat. No. 8,448,399 B2 relates to a thin decorative thermosetting laminate of postforming quality that is glued to a longitudinal carrier to form a floor strip. The laminate has a thermosetting resin as well as hard particles impregnated therein to increase the abrasion resistance of the laminate. The carrier generally has a cross section of a dilatation, transition or a finishing profile, depending on the intended use of the floor strip. The floor strip has a tab portion on a surface that engages a channel on a floor tile or a reducer. The tab portion locks the floor strip into place and prevents movement of the floor tile or the reducer with respect to the floor strip.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 249,965 shows the ornamental design for a trim strip for partition wall.
Finally U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,192 B1 relates to molding systems ate described that include molding strips releasibly insertable into a mounting strip or track. The molding systems act as a transition between tile, both with and without backerboard support, and a floor or various floor coverings, including carpet, or wood flooring. Other molding systems are used to form, a transition between tile, with or without backerboard and door threshold plates. In another embodiment, a molding system is provided for covering an edging strip used to secure the edge of a carpet.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved transition strip and method of installing same. Furthermore, it is another object of this invention to provide a universal or essentially a single transition strip which obviates the need to utilize a plurality of different prior art profile reducers or transition strips. It is also an object to simplify the method of installing transition strips.